{
  "id": 7329425,
  "title": "Noise-induced hearing loss delays auditory learning and reduces the influence of acoustic evidence on choice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/noise-induced-hearing-loss-delays-auditory-learning-and-reduces-the",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-14T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.750711v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) impairs auditory sensitivity, but its impact on learning sound-guided decisions is not well understood. Researchers trained Mongolian gerbils with normal hearing and those with permanent NIHL to distinguish 4- or 12-Hz amplitude-modulated broadband noise in a forced-choice task. Both groups were exposed to stimuli at equivalent loudness levels. NIHL-affected gerbils needed about two and a half times more training sessions and trials to reach the learning threshold compared to normal-hearing animals. This learning delay was not due to reduced task engagement, response speed, or changes in auditory brainstem responses. Video tracking showed that spatial focus in both groups improved with training, while movement paths of the normal-hearing gerbils became more consistent. Logistic regression models indicated that both groups' reliance on the acoustic stimulus increased with training; however, NIHL animals consistently showed lower influence of the task-relevant sound during choice-making. The findings suggest that NIHL delays auditory learning by reducing the role of acoustic evidence in decision-making, implying that hearing loss can influence how sensory experiences contribute to acquiring new behaviors.",
  "summary": "Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) degrades auditory sensitivity, but how it affects the learning of sound-guided decisions remains unclear. We trained adult Mongolian gerbils with normal-hearing (NH) or permanent NIHL, induced by a 2-hour exposure to 120 dB SPL broadband noise, to discriminate 4- versus 12-Hz amplitude-modulated (AM) broadband noise presented in a two-alternative forced-choice…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}